SEO
Search engines are more intelligent these days, unlike in the past, where ranking on a search engine was about repeating keywords severally on a webpage. Google’s PageRank system determines which websites are most useful and applicable for every search term. Therefore, an SEO specialist’s task is to ensure a page is as helpful and relevant as possible. In doing so, it helps improve a site’s ranking. While many SEO firms promise you the stars and the moon, only a few can deliver sustainable results. When choosing an SEO company, you need to weed through those which make empty promises and identify a trustworthy firm.
So how do you go about choosing your preferred agency, such as our SEO company in Canada called Complete SEO, that will help you draw traffic, get leads, and make sales from search?
Check the SEO Company’s Past Performance
Like any other business, performance matters for SEO agencies. For example, if you own a business, people seeking your services look at your past work or products to determine if you’re a good fit. In the same way, you should look at what the SEO agency you want to engage with has done. Examine their past performance, such as portfolio examples, industry awards, case studies, or client testimonials.
Successful SEO agencies have proven results they can showcase to their potential clients. For instance, an SEO agency can show you how running an organic search campaign for a company increased its sales within one year.
When you have solid proof of an SEO agency’s performance, your business can partner with it confidently.
Ask Past Clients about Their Experience
Look at not only the past clients but also the current ones. You want to find out the kind of experience they have had or are having with the agency. Talking to those clients can help your business get insights into their experience. You identify the weaknesses and strengths of the agency and preview its strategy as well as reporting process.
Ensure you talk to around three to five clients of the SEO vendor you are screening. Ask them how working with that particular agency is. Try to learn and understand as much as you can about the agency’s SEO process. Find out how it runs its business and does reporting. This way, you have a trusted third-party view of the SEO vendor before partnering with them.
When contacting the agency’s clients, ask them how fast the agency returns calls and emails. Ask them if clients get a dedicated point-of-contact. Inquire about how much time clients have to allocate to review strategy decisions and reports. With this information up your sleeves, you can choose the right SEO agency for your business. Again, it also makes it easier to narrow down your list of options.
Identify What Techniques they Use
To understand how effective an SEO agency is, you should see the various key SEO performance indicators they utilize. While they may not provide you with all the details because of customer confidentiality, it is possible to show you some proof of how smart they are at their work.
Professional SEO firms usually track and measure campaign results to refine their strategies until they obtain the desired results.
Some of the SEO metrics they track are:
- Organic traffic
- Rankings
- Leads and sales
- Keyword rankings
- Bounce rate
- Backlinks
- Average page loading time
- Pages per session
- Organic click-through rate (CTR).
Meet the SEO Agency and Ask Questions
These days, you don’t have to be available to meet face-to-face with a vendor. You can host a video conference, but an in-person meeting should also be fine if you can. A one-on-one meeting helps better understand the SEO company. Ask the company questions during the meeting.
The more questions you ask regarding an SEO vendor’s performance, the clearer picture you get about their skill. Asking questions helps you determine how well they can perform. A well-rounded SEO agency is not going to hide anything from you.
SEO agencies are narrowing down their services to serve a specific niche or industry and ensure they deliver the best results. Ensure the company you want to work with can provide expertise on the niche or SEO strategy you want to implement. Additionally, ask when you should expect to see results and how much their services cost.
Knowing what to look out for in an SEO company ensures that you don’t partner with one today, and a few months down the line, you end your relationship.
